Woodland Trust projects have benefited from over £12 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) over the last twelve years.
HLF seeks to conserve and transform all aspects of UK heritage including museums and historic places, the natural environment and cultural traditions for everyone to take part in, learn from and enjoy, now and in the future. 2009 marks its fifteenth anniversary.
Your Heritage
This HLF initiative provides grants of between £3,000 and £50,000; through Your Heritage the HLF has awarded over £700,000 to seventeen Woodland Trust projects, including work at:
Reffley Wood, Norfolk
Reffley Wood is an ancient wood on the outskirts of Kings Lynn in Norfolk. During the 1950’s and 1960’s much of the woodland was destroyed and re-planted with conifers. As they grew, these non-native trees cut out much of the light, preventing woodland plants and animals from flourishing and making the wood a dark and daunting place for visitors.
With a grant of £50,000 though Your Heritage, the Woodland Trust is working to restore this wood to its former glory by gradually removing the conifers and giving opportunities for local people to be actively involved and learn about their local natural heritage.
The Heritage Grants scheme
Provides grants of £50,000 and above, and through this initiative the HLF has awarded over forty Woodland Trust projects more than £10 million, including towards:
Credenhill Iron Age Hillfort
The hill fort at Credenhill occupies a prominent position in the Herefordshire landscape. The large earth rampart is thought to have been an Iron Age tribal capital serving a local population of over 4000 people. Today, the fort is almost unrecognisable, having been planted with conifers which mask the incredible views from the top.
Thanks to a grant of £377,500 from HLF the Woodland Trust is working in partnership with Herefordshire Archaeology and the local community to learn more about the history of the site and is gradually removing the conifers to reveal the fort that has remained hidden from view for nearly fifty years.